Police in Kampala have uncovered a shocking inside job after CCTV footage revealed that a private security guard helped plan and execute a massive Shs 120 million robbery at JBK Plaza in downtown Kampala.
The robbery occurred on October 20, when traders arrived for work only to find that their shops had been broken into. Initial police investigations led nowhere, as the scene appeared to have been tampered with, making it difficult for detectives and sniffer dogs to pick up clues.
However, a breakthrough came when one of the affected traders discovered that a hidden CCTV camera inside their shop (room G-12) had recorded the culprits in action. When the footage was reviewed, the traders recognized one of the suspects — a private guard identified as Bosco Gahungu, who was stationed at the same plaza.
The video showed Gahungu working with two unidentified men. Using the footage, police crime intelligence officers were able to trace and arrest two of his suspected accomplices, Samuel Bbosa and Joseph Bani, on Sunday. During interrogation, the two confessed to their involvement in the robbery and implicated Gahungu as the one who planned the heist.
According to their statements, Gahungu allegedly gave the group detailed information about the traders’ daily routines, where they kept money, and the weakest entry points in the building. Bbosa reportedly told police that Gahungu even showed them how to avoid other security cameras during the break-in.
The gang is believed to have stolen over Shs 33.2 million and $26,600 (approximately Shs 96 million) in cash from at least sixteen shops that night.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango confirmed the arrests and said the suspects are being detained at the Central Police Station (CPS) Kampala on charges of shopbreaking and theft. He added that the evidence gathered so far clearly shows it was an inside job. Police are still hunting for Gahungu, who is suspected to be the mastermind behind the entire operation.
Investigators believe the robbery involved up to eight people, including five others who acted as lookouts and getaway drivers. The two arrested suspects will soon be taken back to JBK Plaza for a crime scene reconstruction exercise to demonstrate how the theft was carried out.
Meanwhile, traders at the plaza are demanding stricter security measures and better screening of private guards. Many say the incident has left them fearful and financially drained after losing their hard-earned savings in the shocking inside robbery.